exactly, because right now, to the average petstore buyer, veiltails are just the common boring unhealthy blue and red fish. If breeders bring in good quality fish, and sell them for cheaper, the good qualities in the fish will be brought out in it will be just..awesome

Breeders sell for a better price because A.) the time care, and quality put into their fish and B.) to keep their fish out of the hands of none serious fish keepers who will just kill them in dirty bowls. Any breeder who sells less than store price is likely selling to stores and isn't breeding good quality fish, just more petshop mill 'puppies'.

Pardon me, I never did say that I was for everyone breeding VTs to suit their whims and fancies without any thought, planning, or experience. I apologize if I gave anyone that impression. I want good breeders improving VTs and setting better standards for them. But I don't understand how responsible breeders can get a foothold and establish a distinguished line of VTs if their VTs will supposedly never sell regardless of the stock and quality they come from next to other tail types. That simply does not make sense to me. A breeder has to start someone.

Quality breeders will never be able to compete with the average pet store for the person looking for a cheap pet. People who are breeding veil tails need to attract the interest of other breeders and bring the breed back into focus to increase the quality of the breed. If breeders improve the breed and advertised an improved breed people will begin to notice and compare. Very similar to people who buy something that is made with all natural products vs the cheaper easier to get variety. That way when someone goes to look for a veil tail they are more likely to choose the healthier, better colored, and nicer fish rather than the common blue/red betta you see in the pet stores.
We need breeders that will improve quality and are able to promote the higher quality fish. People are willing to pay more for a comparable product if they can understand the care that is put into producing something better than the competition.

Exactly what I was trying to say about different target markets, kandalia. I guess I didn't phrase it well enough...

The point is, I don't think breeders who are willing, dedicated, and genuinely interested in producing good quality VTs should be discouraged simply because "they won't sell" or "most will have to be culled." The status quo won't change with that mindset.

The main issue is getting breeders SERIOUS in vt's. Since they can't be shown and a lot of breeders breed for showing it makes it kind of hard. I mean if you got a small group together and breed within that group, swapped spawn and tried to get a nice line together. Maybe a FEW people who really love vt's would buy from you simply because perhaps your fish will have more variety in colors/better health. Even if you can get breeders together it seems more people are more interested in HM, HMPK, PK, DeT, DT, heck even a lot of CT and interesting new tail types.

Maybe throwing a twist like DTVT's, EEVT??? Might get other breeders into them?